This week’s Torah portion, Re’eh, begins with the verse: “See, I set before you today a blessing and a curse.” As we enter the Jewish month of Elul, a time of reflection before the High Holy Days, this verse serves as a reminder to “see” the choices we face on...

This week we announced our theme for the coming year, “My Heart is in the East.” The line comes from a poem written a millennium ago by Yehuda HaLevi, who spent most of his life in Spain. The poem speaks to his connection to the Land of Israel even from...

As we approach the start of a new year, we all feel a great confluence of emotions in our heart: enthusiasm, sadness, angst and pain. We also feel gratitude. While the world is far from perfect, we are fortunate that we can live a life of meaning and find ways...

MOSES PLEADS TO ENTER THE PROMISED LAND. THE SECOND DISCOURSE, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS AND SH’MA YISRAEl. TISHA B’AV This week’s portion is incredibly consequential for Moses, for B’nai Yisrael, and for all of us. We are in the middle of Moses’ First Discourse as he reviews the history and laws...

In this week’s Torah portion, Devarim, we are beginning the Book of Deuteronomy. Moses begins his final speech, recounting our journey and charging us to move forward, not to be afraid, and for each of us to take a part in the possession of our land. Just as Moses called...